I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today! (Archived)

jrosasmc · October 2004

Oh yeah- I remember that 911 owner telling me that the worst thing you can do to a Porsche is let it sit for long periods of time or drive it like an old lady.

jaserb · October 2004

It was waiting for shipment at the terminal where I dropped off the SE-R. Guy said it was an eBay car too, I'm pretty sure it was this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&cate- gory=6218&item=2489876319&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Looked to be in very nice shape, but tiny, tiny, tiny. Like a 7/10 Mini Cooper.

-Jason

jlawrence01 · October 2004

I saw a couple of those this weekend. Yes, very small but really not all that uncomfortable to get into ...

However, I would not want to be driving the backroads around here in one with the typical SUV plastered on the bumper ...

kyfdx · October 2004

I'm almost positive I saw my old 911 in the paper today..

'84 911 Targa
slate blue
110K miles
$16,500

Since I sold mine in '94 with about 72K miles, that would be about right.. Can't be that many '84 Targas in Cincinnati in slate blue, right?

Anyway, get this.. That is what I sold the car for in '94!!

andre1969 · October 2004

about a year after I bought it. It was turning into a local shopping plaza, and I followed it in. When I went up to the lady as she was getting out of the car with her small children, trying to get her attention, she was looking at me like I lost my mind! Until I told her that I was the guy that sold them that car. She said that they loved it, and it had been good. It was up to around 115,000 miles (I sold it with 100,000 on it). About all they had done to it was put a new headliner in it, although I'm sure they had to do something to get it to pass emissions, which was one of the main reasons I got rid of it!

Back in late 1993, I looked at a white 1967 Dart GT convertible that I found in the auto trader. Looked good in the pic, but then, an inch-and-a-half tall black and white pic of a white car is going to! When I saw it in person, it had some major bondo in the rear quarters, and looked like it had been gently rear-ended, as the sheetmetal bowed out just a bit over the rear wheels. The kid that owned it said he had just rebuilt the slant six.

A few years later, I saw this same car in the junkyard. Written on the hood was something you almost never see on a slant six car... "Bad motor" Guess he didn't do such a hot job on that rebuild :-/

Mr_Shiftright · October 2004

Actually if the '84 targa were in top shape, say a #2 car (stands tall but not show quality), you could get closer to $19K for it but maybe that's California and not Cincinnati.

I ALMOST bought a Fiat 500...came THAT close...but I demurred when I lifted the floor mat and the floor went bouncey-bouncey and made a noise like you were stepping on toast.

Maybe I shoulda just bought it and slathered it with "insta-floor" like they do with European cars they send over to us suckers. It ran great. But I too had that grisly image of being skewered by a cold steel brush bar affixed to a Range Rover on its way to a Marin County wildlife safari. My plan was to park it in my office and build a table over it. Then, in the dark of night....

kyfdx · October 2004

Hmm... not sure if it is a #2 car. It was in '94, when I sold it... I think maybe the prices are just a little lower in the midwest.. I told you about that '86 a little while ago.. 64K miles and asking $17K.

On the '84, I got a steal in 1990, when I bought it with 52K miles for $20K even. Sold it in '94 for $16,500.. Probably could have held out for more, but it was February.... It was a pretty nice car... Slate blue, with navy blue leather and automatic heating.. It was my "dream car", when I bought it.. it still is

jlawrence01 · October 2004

There are certain brands and vehicles - Porsches, certain BMW models, Mini Coopers that you see in much greater numbers in Cincinnati than in Chicago.

I have seen more Cayennes (sp?) in my last two trips home than I have seen in the past year in Chicago.

fintail · October 2004

My 126 has the same engine as the earlier E class, the M103 6cyl. It's a very competent unit indeed, even in the larger car.

ateixeira · October 2004

Saw one of these with diplomatic tags this morning. I did a double-take, but looked closely since I was behind him in bumper to bumper traffic, and sure enough it was a 520.

This was the previous generation. What engine is that? Can't imagine why the diplomat brought it all the way over here, with that small engine.

-juice

kyfdx · October 2004

I'm pretty sure that is a 2.0 litre straight six.. That is the '88-'95 model, right? Pretty common to see those little sixes in Europe.

lemko · October 2004

...I saw a Porsche Cayenne stretch limo last night! Ferdinand Porsche must be spinning in his grave!

ateixeira · October 2004

No, actually it was a more recent 5 series, maybe a 2000-2004 model. Looked almost new.

It was not the new Dame Edna 2005 model, though.

-juice

wimsey1 · October 2004

Saw a late '30's Ford panel truck this weekend. Looked very nice.

andys120 · October 2004

It could be the two-liter four, still a popular choice in Europe for base model 3ers and 5ers.

kyfdx · October 2004

I can't speak for the E39, but looking at the current model, the smallest engine available is a 2.2 litre six.. No four-cylinder available.. Got that from the BMW Great Britain website.

edit: did a search for used cars.. The 2.0 in the 5-series "saloon" is definitely a six cylinder... It is actually a 2.2 litre six, with 170 hp...

regards,
kyfdx

ateixeira · October 2004

Kinda like the old 2.3 was really a 2.5l.

Never made sense to me.

-juice

ajvdh · October 2004

On the track. Yes, that's right. The hot-rodded version of that G-wagon thing that looks like an armored phone booth. It was the older version with "only" 350 HP, instead of the current 500 HP flavor.

We had our fall driving school weekend before last, and one of the beginner students showed up with this beast. I was surprised that the safety steward and chief instructor signed off on it. I sure wasn't gonna instruct in the thing. The guys who did said it was much more competent than it had any right to be. It was kind of watching a pig dance: It doesn't do it that well, but the fact it can do it at all is amazing.

andys120 · October 2004

that's correct according to CAR which sez the 520i will do 0-60 in 9 sec (compared to 6.9 for a 231 hp 530i) in UK trim. The 520i is the base model for the British market.

corsicachevy · October 2004

On the way into work I was passed by a 1966 Mercedes 280 sedan (very good condition) driven by a young male. The driver could very well been on his way to high school band practice! The car was likely a 16th birthday present.

That's something you don't see every day.

kyfdx · October 2004

Saw an old Mercedes sedan yesterday. kind of a faded bluish gray.. a 250.. I'm guessing early '70s? Pretty basic.. no other designation.

michaellno · October 2004

A late 60's Karmann Ghia convertible, looked to have the original orange paint, with the top down in 40ish weather here in Denver.

Nice condition.

andys120 · October 2004

My Dad had a Merc 250 Sedan (ca. '74 MY) in that color. Nice car, built like a bank vault but ponderous, slow and not much fun to drive.

kyfdx · October 2004

That sounds like about the year of the one I saw.. maybe a couple years older.. and the driver? She looked ponderous and slow also.. She definitely wasn't built like a bank vault.. No idea if she was much fun to drive, but in every other respect, she resembled her car.. (old and faded).

Mr_Shiftright · October 2004

You had to really wind those engines up to get power out of them, but at that time Americans were all used to big engines with lots of low end torque. Mercedes had fits with fouled plugs and complaints of low power because Americans didn't know then how to drive European cars. I still freak people out when I drive their older Benzes...they scream "STOP, YOU'RE HURTING IT!"

andys120 · October 2004

The trouble with winding those things out is that there was a tremendous amount of resistance built into the throttle return spring. You had to really mash it to floor it and you had to use a fair amount of effort to hold part throttle just to cruise (no CC in my Dad's car which struck me as more of a German Chevy Malibu than a luxury car).
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Seen today...

ca. 1970-73 "Boattial" Riviera in two tones, white over dark red. I've never been a fan of that Gen Riviera but this example was pristine and the two-tones worked well on it. I assume this was in well preserved original cond. as I don't think someone would restore one.

Another apparently pristine GM-- a Corvair Spyder from the first gen ('60-'64) in Dark metallic red w light tan top. Didn't see the rear so I couldn't tell if it was a Turbo.

Yes, GM sold Turbos long before Porsche or Saab (in 1960 F-85 and Corvair Monza).

kyfdx · October 2004

it would cost to replace the rear window on that Riviera? I remember 9th grade.. our librarian bought one.. Fall of '71, I think.. She was your stereotypical librarian, and everyone was amazed she bought a car like that.

stickguy · October 2004

a really nice looking mid-60s El Camino. Red, and nicely restored (very original looking). Probably about a '66 (it was the square style malibu front end).

michaellno · October 2004

I remember that throttle spring well! My folks had a '72 220D and it was like a workout holding it down. I remember driving on I-5 from LA to Sacramento in it and my ankle was sore after about 50 miles. Not to mention the 65HP straining to motivate 3000 pounds of car up the Grapevine. Once you attained cruising speed, it was easy to see why German cars did so well on the autobahn. Very, very stable.

fintail · October 2004

The cars run so well when kind of wound up too. The fintail is remarkably smooth at 80mph, and its little 2.2L inline 6 is really buzzing at that speed. But it isn't taxed at all, it has plenty more where that came from. It will start to breathe hard at about 95 or so. Not that I advocate going such speeds on roads where limits are legitimatly and responmsibly set, in a 40 year old car, of course.

I had my fintail when I was 18, and people did think it was odd someone so young drove it. Really, now that I am 27, people still think the same thing.

lemko · October 2004

...a maroon 1972 Pontiac LeMans convertible with a black top. Would be the last of the beautiful A-bodies before being replaced by the abominable non-convertible, non-hardtop "colonnade" intermediates. Thank God for the UAW and its 1970 strike. Without it, those ugly beasts would've arrived a year earlier.

lemko · October 2004

...I spotted a really nice white 1965(?) Mercedes 230 fintail last night in Newtown, PA. This one had a red interior.

Fintail, do you have a book called "Essential Mercedes Coupes, Cabriolets & Saloons 53-67?" The author is James Taylor, (not the singer!) and is published by Bay View Books. It's not a thick book, but has a lot of good information about the 'ponton' and 'fintail' models from the 180D to the 300SE. Maybe they sell it on Amazon?

fintail · October 2004

You're pretty good on the year, those would date from 65-67, they were the replacement for the 220 cars as the old 220 market position moved up to the 250 cars with the W108. It's a W110, same trim as a 190 or 200 car.

I've seen that book, but I actually don't have it. There are a couple good series of MB books that focus on time periods like that. The same author also has a Mercedes Benz Since 1945 series that has a good 1960s volume with lots of fintail stuff. Once a year or so I happen in on a local book discount store, and I hope to find it there. Ebay might be good too. In fact, here it is

I saw something not so rare, but getting more unusual. It was a 1988 300E, in a none too exciting champagne on tan. And it was immaculate. The leather was soft and supple without cracks, the paint was very nice, the wheels were very clean. It had 160K on it, but it looked like 60K...it was as nice as my 126. The lot is asking $5995 for it, and I am sure it could be had for 5K. I was almost tempted to look at it more. If it has been maintained, it's very worth it.

Mr_Shiftright · October 2004

powerful lot o' miles on that car. I'd offer less, not a nickel over $4,000.

fintail · October 2004

I don't intend to buy it, but from how it looked, it seems like a worthy purchase. I didn't look under the hood...but it was obvious the car had been cared for cosmetically anyway. It wasn't a repaint, and the interior was pristine. You can't fake nice old mint leather. I've seen a M103 at over 300K, so they can last.

The dealer there also really wanted my 126 (or he was just kissing my butt), but he said about 4 times that if I wanted to sell it, he'd be interested, and to take it to him before trading it anywhere. That was fun.

Today on the interstate I saw a mint restored 41 Plymouth Special Deluxe convertible. It was moving along decently at about 60mph...black with wide whites.

Mr_Shiftright · October 2004

I guess I just I don't like paying over high retail, especially for high miles. Now 300K is most unusual! In man years, that's a 105 year old guy playing tennis. 99% of all cars (or us) never get there. To me, a 300K car is a parts car.

Hey, I took a ride in a 52 Dodge pickup today with a Mercedes 300D engine installed, running on biodiesel. Without the usual MB soundproofing, it was like riding in a World War II bomber, but you know, it worked! Guy says it's about the same power/speed as his old Dodge flathead six but much better fuel mileage. It has the Benz automatic but the Dodge rear end so no danger of something busting.

Strange project, but hey, why not?

andyman73 · October 2004

Sounds like he beat DC at their own game! Good for him.

Mr_Shiftright · October 2004

His friend has a whole yardful of 300D parts cars so he'll be able to run that thing forever probably.

fintail · October 2004

300K is certainly on borrowed time, and the car I saw it on wasn't pristine...but if there is any car I would want to have with that mileage, it would be a maintained 80s Mercedes.

That's a great idea with that old pickup. Tough engine on a simple platform, that thing would survive an apocalypse.

fintail · October 2004

Ebay time:

This is a cool resto rod, but give me a break on the price. Earth to seller...

Nissan Skyline = Cool. I wonder how you could get this in the US

Interesting neo-classic/replicar. Everything is wrong, yet it's still not so bad compared to the competition

One for your museum

I like the style of these

These are neat, this is probably more solid than most

I've never seen this before

Weird, advanced for its day

If you have $50K to blow on a restoration, here you go

Siata Spring thinks its an MGTD

Never seen a 2CV like this

Nice Chrysler Woody Convert...it's no T&C

Very early fintail, perhaps one of the earliest in the US. I wish I could see the serial number. And I wish they hadn't messed up the originality...that color - no!

And an Andre-Mobile, going cheap!

andre1969 · October 2004

that St. Regis is in that shade of green that I absolutely love. I always called it "emerald green", but it's proper name is "Teal Green Sunfire Metallic"

They also made it in a two-tone, light-over dark, which is showcased in this brochure, which follows a particularly frisky young couple and their St. Regis on a sexual romp around the World Trade Center: http://www.tocmp.com/brochures/Dodge/1979/StRegis/index.htm

One thing I always thought was a bit odd is that, back then, vinyl was the OPTIONAL interior choice. The cloth interior with the solid front bench is actually the base interior!

jlawrence01 · October 2004

And remember ... you can get the "optional plush oxford vinyl" on the St. Regis ...

Ah, the good old days ...

andys120 · October 2004

The correct spelling is Talbot even though it is pronounced with the second T silent (Talbow) in the case of French built cars.

British built Talbots (as in Sunbeam-Talbot) are pronounced Tall-bot. Even if it is a decent replicar I wouldn't buy it from someone who didn't know that.
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The Siata Spring was unaccountably popular for a time. It was essentially a rebodied Fiat 850.
Siata and Fiat had a symbiotic relationship the acme of which was the gorgeous Fiat V8 engined Siata 8V of the 50s and the nadir of which was the aforementioned horrid little Spring.

Mr_Shiftright · October 2004

Siata Spring = Bow Wow

jrosasmc · October 2004

Spotted on Ebay yesterday: a 1980 VW Dasher diesel sedan with only 4700 original miles on it. Yes, 4700 miles, check it out! Another "bow wow" car. (I always hated Dashers)

And another bow wow I saw at the bookstore yesterday: 1979 Toyota Celica liftback. Typical bad Japanese styling of the era.

ghulet · October 2004

...they probably couldn't keep it running longer than those 4700 miles.

Those late '70s Celicas look quite dated now, but they were one of the most wanted cars at the time, at least among ten year-old boys. Seriously, they were quite popular.

jrosasmc · October 2004

I get the 5000th post...however, I feel humbled about it. At any rate, the Ebay ad for the Dasher says that it was immaculately maintained and preserved, something that can't be said of 99.9% of all other Dashers sold here in the U.S. I've seen many VWs and Audis of the late '70s and early '80s, and believe me, build quality and paint quality were not at their apex back then.

I came across a rare scholarly book in my college library, written by a business professor around 1994 or so. It was solely devoted to the British car industry and why it failed so miserably in the 1970s. According to the book, three reasons did the Brits in: 1) Poor management and marketing decisions, 2) Labor unrest at British plants, and 3) Very poor build quality and durability...many British cars in the '70s were built using standards that dated from the early '50s and outsourcing components from companies with a shaky reputation (i.e. Lucas).

Mr_Shiftright · October 2004

If you really want to weep, read about how the British motorcycle industry just rolled over and died when Honda came out with the 750-4 in 1969 or so. Britain went from world leader in bikes to a pile of ruins in about 5 years.

fintail · October 2004

You should buy that St. Regis, Andre. Your NYer needs a companion!

Maybe the Talbot in Talbot Lago has some kind of copyright, so the maker of that replicar had to improvise. At least I like to think so. Kinda like the Custom Cloud.

I kinda liked the 78-81 Celicas when I was very young. The first Supra based on that hatchback has some weird interest for me.

Here's that Dasher. Amazing.

andys120 · October 2004

No doubt the name Talbot does have a trademark, it's probably owned by Daimler-Chrysler (the last Talbots were rebadged OmniRizons)but the guy could've at least spelled it right when referring to the originals in his descriptive.

I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today! (Archived)

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